Ios 2024

In July 2024, I found myself with a free week and naturally wanted to spend it in my favourite country, Greece! The big question was, where to go? Initially, I was eager to explore a new destination, but with my travel dates set and limited flight options, my choices were narrowed.

I researched various trips, including package deals with TUI and Jet2, but ultimately decided to craft my own itinerary since I’m now a seasoned island-hopper.

Flights to Athens were shockingly expensive (£400 one-way), and the same went for many other islands. Surprisingly, the cheapest flights were to Santorini and Mykonos, two of the most expensive islands to visit.

Having just returned from a trip to Santorini, I was hesitant to fly back there but realized I could use it as a stepping stone to reach other nearby islands. I’d visited most of them before, so the new question was, where did I most want to return? Paros and Naxos are both beautiful, but I spent two weeks in Paros in 2022 and have seen Naxos many times. Folegandros is nice, but three nights there in 2019 felt sufficient, and I haven’t had the desire to return.

I’ll be honest, Ios was already at the top of my list. I just rationalised my desire to go back by ruling out the alternatives.

I spent 12 nights on Ios in July last year but never made a trip report, as it was a relaxing, low-key experience. This time will likely be similar, but to fully document my Greek adventures, I’m including this trip. The only difference from 2023 is that I’m flying back from Mykonos instead of Santorini, as the return flight was cheaper.

Click here to start reading about the trip.